Wake Turbulence, Flying Discipline Likely Doomed IAF C-130J

The Indian Air Force’s C-130J Super Hercules that crashed March 28 in central India is likely to have impacted the ground during a low-level tactical sortie after being thrown out of control by wake turbulence (Indian Express report here) of the lead C-130J flying in front of it.

I had tweeted after the accident about how initial indicators pointed to the high possibility of a sudden loss of control at 1,000 feet, giving the trailing aircraft’s crew virtually no time to recover.

The IAF’s former flight safety boss (and then AOC-in-C, Western Air Command) Air Marshal P.S. Ahluwalia tells me, “From the information available, there appears to have been a breach of flying discipline on two fronts. One, by the ill-fated aircraft, which may not have updated and compensated its flight path to accommodate wake and other turbulence during closely formated flight. And two, by the lead aircraft itself.”

Either way, the ill-fated crew likely had only seconds to apply corrective measures, grossly insufficient to right the aircraft at such low altitude. Investigations into the circumstances of the shock accident are still underway. Expect updates.

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when you buy a new car SUV Hummer Mercedes – you need to make sure not to drive through the bazaar of bareilly or through narrow lanes and gully. What was the need for trying to pass an elephant through eye of a needle – if these people can't take care of expensive, new and critical equipment – they need to be given retirement.

Mr intelligent firstly airforce doesnt drive suv in bazaars but if they need to then they will but not in suv ,in su30.secondly it was a very important training sortie for the crew i can understand but u wont as u must ve never been through the training.and lastly ur so called expensive equipments given to us by ur netas and bureaucrates are the cheapest ones available in the market.they should have given simulators too .EXPENSIVE lives would have been saved.

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Anonymous

2 years 7 months ago

I strongly believed that the C130Js were being flown in training like they would be in actual combat. IAF would learn from this crash and be better for it. The C130J brings capabilities that were simply not available earlier, the IAF would be testing out the envelopes of this plane's capability. The IAF has always done that with all its aircraft, and no airforce worth its salt would do any differently.

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Anonymous

2 years 7 months ago

1000 crores – money any way dumbos like us are going to pay it again to buy that.

5 Lives – ???

Regards,AMMAVASAI

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DJ

2 years 7 months ago

IAF proves again that they can crash any aircraft

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Anonymous

2 years 7 months ago

Anonymous @ 640

C130 are heavy lifters transport aircarft not combat aircraft – hell, they are not even bombers.Do you do acrobatics with passenger air liner ? or push flying envelope of F1 racing with 40 ft long Limousine ? What a bunch of idiots

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Anonymous

2 years 7 months ago

Sad.i hope IAF modifies its SOP. In armed forces such things happen when they train stretching own limits to simulate war as clise as possibleMeanwhile let us it make it personal.RIP air warriors in the Hercules.

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Anonymous

2 years 7 months ago

If the plane is flying according to the requirements of a C-130J from Lockheed Martin, then it should be covered by warranty.Are the pilots following requirements and standard practices of operating the aircraft?If they did, then it is covered by manufacturer for free replacement. If not it is IAF fault and need to pay for a new aircraft.The reporter and IAF need to find out and let us know.

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Anonymous

2 years 7 months ago

What was the need to fly at such low level of 1000 feet. What turbulence will be there at such low level.

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Sudheendra

2 years 7 months ago

Low level flying is performed to evade enemy radar. Paratroopers being dropped behind enemy lines using C130J — now you can imagine what they were trying to simulate. If it is hilly terrain, pilots have to be trained even for that.

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Anonymous

2 years 7 months ago

sudhhendraparatroopers are not dropped at 1000 ft. and there were no paratroopers inside – all thin inquiry of air force crashes should be done by other agency – DRDO / DGCA or some kind of safety board which should collect, analyze, disseminate all types of accident data –

The crash of an Indian Air Force Super Hercules on March 28 ’14 was caused by the United States with microwave signals from satellites to neutralize what I have written about the sinking of the Indian Navy’s Sindhurakshak submarine and hundreds of fighter aircraft crashes having been caused by the United States with microwave signals from satellites to make India switch from Russian to American equipment. On January 20 ‘14 I wrote: “Regarding the “successful” test of the Agni IV missile today: I have been saying for many years (see IndianAirFircePilotsMurderDOTblogspotDOTcom ) that the United States can control the operations… Read more »

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Anonymous

2 years 7 months ago

I don't know to belive Mr Satishchandra or not, but they have not been able to find MH370 till now – if they had such technology, surely they could have found a boeing aircraft.

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Anonymous

2 years 7 months ago

Through microwave you can disrupt the electronics as the japan was experimenting during WW2 but the energy requirement is very high and these microwaves energy decreases with distance as per natures law and technology cannot change natures law. Its said that if japan would have invested in nuclear weapon rather than microwave/ radiowave weapon the outcome would have been different. The main problem with microwave based weapon is range. the sattelites are thousand kms away from earth few are hundreds kms, if it is placed in LEO then also high amount of energy will be required which will require high… Read more »

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Anonymous

2 years 7 months ago

Through microwave you can disrupt the electronics as the japan was experimenting during WW2 but the energy requirement is very high and these microwaves energy decreases with distance as per natures law and technology cannot change natures law. Its said that if japan would have invested in nuclear weapon rather than microwave/ radiowave weapon the outcome would have been different. The main problem with microwave based weapon is range. the sattelites are thousand kms away from earth few are hundreds kms, if it is placed in LEO then also high amount of energy will be required which will require high… Read more »

Anonymous…., remain just that. You don't have the faintest clue about life. … maybe death.! Are you a babu? Perhaps a gregarious clown? Either way you're best ignored. Definitely not Indian. The armed forces won all the wars till date. Barring 1962 where air force wasn't used in offensive mode. Did you even rejoice when we won the kargil conflict? Oops you were sad that day. .. understandable!

They were trying to hoodwink the radars to look as if they were flying a single aircraft , to just push the possibilities of the aircraft higher or if they are thinking like the Chinese just crash the aircraft and try and re engineer it so that the us would not suspect them .

IAF has lost 5 brave men who were trying their best to fly that aircraft to the edge of its envelope. We all have to realize that the crew did the best they could, but in the business of military flying, there are dangers. C130 J is just another aircraft, it doesn't come with GOD mode, you can check up the crash statistics of c 130s. SOP's are written in Blood!!! Here is a live example. I'm sure no pilot in his senses will violate them, specially at low levels. I'm sure they also didn't. (The COI will give the… Read more »

Anonymous…., remain just that. You don't have the faintest clue about life. … maybe death.! Are you a babu? Perhaps a gregarious clown? Either way you're best ignored. Definitely not Indian. The armed forces won all the wars till date. Barring 1962 where air force wasn't used in offensive mode. Bye did you even rejoice when we won the kargil conflict? Oops you were sad that day. .. understandable!